The FastDay Forum

Okay you guys, I need your help.

I am 54, with 2 crumbling vertabrae, arthritis in my knees and a pathological hatred of exercise. I live in a small village where there isn't a gym/ easy access to dance classes/ aerobics etc.

Three years ago I cycled 1,000 km in 6 months - but hated it. I only did it because I'd been sponsored.

We have a bike up on rollers but every time I think about doing it (it's in a COLD room & we can't bring it upstairs) I can find something else to do.

I do go for walks occassionally - but I also have problems with my feet so can't go that far.

How the ******* do I get myself motivated to exercise? I am a complete couch potato, and although I'm losing weight on 5:2 I kindof know I should also be exercising, but I hate it.

Can anyone help. At all?

Firstly exercise for weight loss is not really going to help you that much. You should base your desire to exercise on the idea that its better for your overall health and /or that you enjoy it. If you really don't enjoy it, look into HIIT exercise program. High Intensity Interval Training can be done in as little as 3 minutes per day and will give you benefits far beyond what you thought was possible.This is a very short clip of the full programme, but it will help.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7-h_w7bJrU

I do HIIT 2 or 3 times a week and strength exercises 4 times a week. I started after I had lost my first 20lbs. I am 50 years old and waiting for surgery on the prolapsed disk in my neck that did the dastardly deed of squishing inward and is now crushing my spinal cord. I have no options, surgery or paralysis from the chest down eventually. But, the anesthetist wouldn't touch me because of my weight, so I had to lose 40lbs before I could even go on the waiting list. I am now exercising everything except specifically my neck, but those muscles have strengthened just because the back and shoulders have strengthened.
I also have a repaired knee cartlidge in one knee and mild arthritis in both knees. My BP has gone down from 120/90 to 110/70 since I started. I am telling you all this to show that there will be something for you to do that you will enjoy.

Buy yourself a fitbit and join our fitbit group.
There's also a HiT club (High impact training). I find it very motivating and I'm such a couch potato!

[janeg]

You can also look at NEAT- if you do a wee search for NEAT and kencc there is a really informative ( and quite long thread) . I'm not going to tell you any more and hope I have intruiged you...

Doormouse, are you anywhere near a town with a swimming pool? It sounds like weight-bearing or high impact exercise isn't going to suit you, but swimming might be ideal. Or even a hotel with one of those little pools (lovely and warm!) where they have aqua aerobics.

If not then it's back to what you can stand to do indoors - maybe you need another cycling challenge - something to aim for. Or a fitness DVD to follow, or a WII ...? Do you have a friend you could exercise with? Having someone to chivvy you a long can be a great motivator.

Bottom line is you won't stick with anything you don't enjoy, so I would say try a few different things, you might find something that actually feels like fun.

If you're losing weight on the 5:2 then you may find in time you're more motivated to exercise - your knees and feet may be less painful when you're carrying less weight. Just a thought.

Best wishes and good luck!

[Debs]

If you can dormouse, buy the fast diet book, you will see from that that you don't have to do hours of exercise to get the fitness benefits. But as the others said exercise will not help you lose wait but will help with toning, mood etc.
I am not a huge exercise fan either but I do it to keep myself fit and healthy. Lizzieh is right thought, if you don't enjoy it you won't do it. I would consider getting exercises from a physio so you know what exercises you could do so as not to aggravate your existing problems.

I agree with Lizzieh, if there is a pool anywhere near you where they have an aqua aerobics class, try it. I'm waiting for an op to repair a cruciate ligament and I find exercising in water is great, no stress on the old joints! Also at the class I go to they play great music and we all sing along. Its true you really do have to enjoy it to keep at it, I have a lot of exercise equipment/dvds gathering dust to prove it!! Good luck

Thank you for replies so far...we do have an open air pool here in my village - but I don't think I'll be using it just now!!!

As has been said, finding something you like enough to stick with is the key. For me it's strength classes twice a week, which has the bonus of socializing with friends old and new, plus a 1/4 mi walk to get there. In addition, I do a Leslie Sansone walking video in the early am before breakfast 3 or 4 times a week http://www.amazon.com/Leslie-Sansone-Wa ... B001AYWY5O
while listening to the morning news on the radio (video sound muted, of course)

Not to brag, but at age 73 my biceps are as big as those of the 50-year-old (female) instructor and I can walk faster than anyone I know of my age and faster than many younger ones! This, after more than 20 years of aerobics and weight training. Of course, the good luck to have had good health plays a large part.

There are probably weight training videos available. I still have the old Jane Fonda one from the 80's!

My point is that finding an agreeable exercise regime is so very worth it--I hope this is motivational enough!

Hey @Fat Dormouse You don't actually need to exercise to lose extra weight. But for me as I've always loved to walk this I wanted to do again almost as much as losing the weight, and at my start I was 19 stones and not very mobile with health issues similar to yours so from day one I mapped out a local walk of one mile which I did on all my 3 fastdays then slowly upped it by another half mile and so on. By the end of my first 8 months I was doing between
5-7miles on each fastday just starting with the small things helps enormously in the end because I've now dropped all my medication for my OE plus all my other numbers are now in the downward direction. So as the outdoor pool if completely off could you "bag up" and maybe a short walk.
Indoors exercise or DVD anything in the privacy of your own home to help you get going just a little bit for now.

PS:: For my local walking + mapping I use,
map my run/walk
or bike hike NO I don't run Yet!! or haven't got on my what must be now antique bicycle. Lol

Most of the Leslie Sansone DVD's are viewable on YouTube. They are a gentle way to get back into a fitness regime, but in the privacy of your own home. Start at the 1 mile Walks and build up from there. I like doing the HIIT to the Radio hits one she has.